Nina Bocharova
Encyclopedia
Nina Antonovna Bocharova (b. September 24, 1924 in village Suprunovka, Poltava Oblast
, Ukrainian SSR
) is a former Soviet
/Ukrainian
gymnast
, who won five medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics
.
She competed for Stroitel Kiev, debuting at the Nationals in 1948, where she placed fourth on the uneven bars and balance beam. These two were her best events throughout the career. She won the all-around titles at the USSR Championships in 1949 and 1951, Maria Gorokhovskaya
being her main rival. In 1952 Bocharova competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics
, the first Olympics for Soviet athletes. Placing 2nd to Gorokhovskaya in the all-around, she won the gold on the beam and contributed to the team's gold. She also earned another silver medal in the team exercise with hand apparatus event. At age 30 she competed in the 1954 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
, winning the gold medal in the team competition, and finished her career afterwards.
In the early 2000s Nina Bocharova still actively participated in sports activities and meetings and was honoured to be the first torchbearer of the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay
on the Ukrainian
land.
Poltava Oblast
Poltava Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Poltava.Other important cities within the oblast include: Komsomolsk, Kremenchuk, Lubny and Myrhorod.-Geography:...
, Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
) is a former Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
/Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
gymnast
Artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics where gymnasts perform short routines on different apparatus, with less time for vaulting . The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique , which designs the Code of Points and regulates all aspects of international elite...
, who won five medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
.
She competed for Stroitel Kiev, debuting at the Nationals in 1948, where she placed fourth on the uneven bars and balance beam. These two were her best events throughout the career. She won the all-around titles at the USSR Championships in 1949 and 1951, Maria Gorokhovskaya
Maria Gorokhovskaya
Maria Kondratyevna Gorokhovskaya was a Ukrainian gymnast. At the 1952 Summer Olympics, she won seven medals, the most medals won by any woman in a single Olympics....
being her main rival. In 1952 Bocharova competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
, the first Olympics for Soviet athletes. Placing 2nd to Gorokhovskaya in the all-around, she won the gold on the beam and contributed to the team's gold. She also earned another silver medal in the team exercise with hand apparatus event. At age 30 she competed in the 1954 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
1954 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 13th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships were held in Rome, the capital of Italy, on June 28 - July 1, 1954.-Medals:- All-around :- Floor exercise :- Pommel horse :- Rings :- Vault :- Parallel bars :- Horizontal bar :...
, winning the gold medal in the team competition, and finished her career afterwards.
In the early 2000s Nina Bocharova still actively participated in sports activities and meetings and was honoured to be the first torchbearer of the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay
2004 Olympic Torch Relay
The 2004 Summer Olympics Torch Relay took the Olympic flame across every habitable continent, returning to Athens, Greece. Every city which had hosted the Summer Olympics was revisited by the torch, as well as several other cities chosen for their international importance.The relay was the first...
on the Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
land.